[David O McKay] Receives patriarchal blessing from John Smith. (1)
[Deseret] Congress denies women in Utah right to vote. (2)
[Deseret] Edmunds-Tucker Act is passed by Congress. (2)
The Edmunds-Tucker Act abolishes women's suffrage, and seizes control of the church and its assets. (3)
[Utah Statehood] Although the Edmunds-Tucker bill was passed by the U.S. Senate on January 12, 1886, it was stalled by Democrats in the House as various amendments to it were considered. When finally approved by both houses in February 1887 and sent to President Cleveland, he allowed it to become law without his signature. Among other things, this act provided that LDS church property in excess of $50,000 would be forfeited to the United States and abolished woman suffrage in the territory. This discouraging news seemed to galvanize Mormons in Utah to continue their pursuit of statehood, but with a somewhat different proposal. On June 30, 1887, another constitutional convention met in Salt Lake City and by July 7 had hammered out a constitution that declared bigamy and polygamy "incompatible with a republican form of government" and made both activities misdemeanors. On August 1 the new constitution was ratified by Utah voters. Many doubted the sincerity of its provisions aga
inst polygamy, and
newspapers across the country editorialized against statehood based on such flimsy evidence of a turnaround of affairs in Utah. The new constitution was not automatically set aside by Congress, which held hearings on it in 1888, but ultimately it too failed to achieve the desired result for Utah. With the Mormon hierarchy determined to retain polygamy as a tenet and a practice, some members of Congress began agitating for an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would ban the practice. (4)
-- Jan 8, 1888
[Apostle Rudger Clawson] Moves to Brigham City, Utah. (5)
-- Jan 25, 1888
David Whitmer, the last of the Three Witnesses, died in Richmond, Missouri. (6)
-- Feb 5, 1888
[Apostle Rudger Clawson] sustained as president of Box Elder Stake at quarterly stake conference. (5)
-- Feb 12, 1888
[Apostle Rudger Clawson] Ordained a high priest and set apart as Box Elder stake president by Lorenzo Snow. (5)
-- Apr 6, 1888
[Apostle Rudger Clawson] Speaks at general conference on polygamy. (5)
-- May 1, 1888
[Apostle John Henry Smith] Moves Josephine to Manassa, Colorado. (7)
-- May 17, 1888
Manti Temple dedicated in a private session. It was publicly dedicated 21-23 May. (6)
[Wilford Woodruff] Dedicates the Manti Utah Temple. (8)
Footnotes:
1 - Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Teachings of Presidents of the Church: David O McKay, Salt Lake City, Utah
2 - History to Go, Statehood, http://historytogo.utah.gov/timeline/statehood.html
3 - Wikipedia, 19th Century (Mormonism), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/19th_century_(Mormonism)
4 - Thatcher, Linda, History to Go, Statehood Chronology, http://www.onlineutah.com/statehoodchronology.shtml
5 - Larsen, Stan (editor), A Ministry of Meetings:The Apostolic Diaries of Rudger Clawson, Significant Mormon Diaries Series No. 6, A Rudger Clawson Chronology, Signature Books in association with Smith Research Associates, Salt Lake City 1993
6 - Hemidakaota, "Church Chronology from 1800-2000," http://www.lds.net/forums/scripture-study-forum/12108-church-chronology-1800-2000-part-1-a.html#post214550
7 - White, Jean Bickmore, Church, State, and Politics, p.xviii, A John Henry Smith Chronology
8 - Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Wilford Woodruff, Salt Lake City, Utah
Mormon History Timeline /Chronology
http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/
